** hi-res digital download available - original files are 96K 24-bit. :-) **
What happens when the world’s most raucous rock/fusion instrumental power trio decides to make a concept album? You get "DUCK", the story of a web-footed Antarctic island native fleeing a penguin policeman all the way to New York City…where considerable misadventure and danger await. The Aristocrats – Guthrie Govan/guitar, Bryan Beller/bass, Marco Minnemann/drums – have created a kaleidoscopic musical universe, employing both trademark genre pastiches and inventive new arrangement explorations – some surprisingly emotional and sensitive – to move the story along to its frantic conclusion. And while their obvious virtuosity and inherent absurdity are present as always, it’s now employed in service of the band’s most ambitious compositional and sonic production to date.
“We’ve always been writing with a storytelling aspect in mind, and our live shows always include our stories behind the songs,” says the band, speaking as one. “But the stories had mainly been about us. Then Marco came into the studio with a song about a duck, and we were all looked at each other and said, ‘What if all of stories for the songs on this album…happened to a duck? What’s that story about?’ And suddenly we had a concept album on our hands.”
The wildly diverse music follows the protagonist duck into a big city dance club (“Aristoclub”) to being forcibly ejected from a dive bar (“Hey, Where’s MY Drink Package”) to a dark-riffed theme for his penguin pursuer (“Sgt. Rockhopper”), eventually concluding with the action-packed, Balkan-fusion finale “This Is Not Scrotum”, featuring violinist Rusanda Panfili (Hans Zimmer Live) as a rare Aristocrats album special guest.
Mixed by Australian sonic guru Forrester Savell, and with original character artwork by Lance Myers (Space Jam), "DUCK" is The Aristocrats’ first new studio album in five years. And it’s clear that Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller and Marco Minnemann have taken their collective artistry to a whole new mindblowing – albeit ridiculous – level.
released February 16, 2024
GUTHRIE GOVAN
played guitar
and wrote “Sgt. Rockhopper”, “Here Come The Builders” and “Slideshow”
BRYAN BELLER
played bass
and wrote “Aristoclub”, “Muddle Through” and “This Is Not Scrotum”
MARCO MINNEMANN
played drums and percussion
and wrote “Hey, Where’s MY Drink Package?”, “Sittin’ With A Duck On A Bay” and “And Then There Were Just Us/Duck’s End”
The Aristocrats give special thanks to
RUSANDA PANFILI, who plays many beautiful violins on “This Is Not Scrotum”
PRODUCED BY THE ARISTOCRATS
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9 recorded by Jason Mariani at Carbonite Sound, Ojai, CA, January 10-23, 2023
Tracks 6, 7 and 8 recorded by Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller and Marco Minnemann wherever they happened to be in 2023
Mixed and mastered by Forrester Savell
Artwork, character design and layout by Lance Myers
Written by Guthrie Govan: “Sgt. Rockhopper” and “Here Come The Builders” © 2022, and “Slideshow” © 2023
Written by Bryan Beller, all Panorama Ataraxia Music BMI: “Aristoclub” © 2021, and “Muddle Through” and “This Is Not Scrotum © 2022
Written by Marco Minnemann, all BoingSongs ASCAP © 2022: “Hey, Where’s MY Drink Package?”, “Sittin’ With A Duck On A Bay” and “And Then There Were Just Us/Duck’s End”
Excerpt from “Morning Mood” by Edvard Grieg
sequenced by Pierre-André Rigoli for Sparks & Shadows
Special thanks to Bear McCreary
****
The Aristocrats hereby thank: Riccardo Cappelli, Kris Claerhout, Mike DeMonte and Hostile City Distro, Tom Price, Darran Charles and Rhiannon Jenkins, Tim and Karen Dam
Guthrie Govan thanks Charvel Guitars, Victory Amps, D’Addario, Fractal Audio, tc electronic, Pigtronix, Providence, Red Bear, Xotic, GruvGear and Nathalie B.
Bryan Beller thanks: Mike Lull basses, Spector basses, Gallien-Krueger amplification, D'Addario strings, Dunlop/MXR, Xotic Effects, tc electronic, my dear friends and family, and Liz Teisan and Ellie.
Marco Minnemann thanks DW, Zildjian, Pro-Mark, Evans, Audix, Steinberg, Jens and Alina Minnemann, Phoenix Minnemann.
For more Aristocratic information:
www.the-aristocrats-band.com
facebook.com/aristocratsband
www.youtube.com/@thearistocrats
Instagram: @thearistocratsband
Twitter: @acratsband
Linktree:
linktr.ee/AristocratsBand
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